St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-04
A POLICEMAN'S WOUNDS.
The Trial Of A. S. Edwards for Shoot
ing Policeman Roenisch.
WAS THE ACT JUSTIFIED?
Testimony of Three Witnesses Intro
duced Yesterday on Behalf
of the State.

The trial of A. S. Edwards for the
shooting of Officer Roenisch was begun
before Judge Kelly yesterday morning.
There was not so much trouble in Sc
curing jury as was anticipated. for
only thirty-three men were challenged
before the necessary twelve jurors were
secured. The jury consists Of Patrick
Dougher, Herman DettlOff, F. W.
Dine, Albert E. DOrnfield, George w.
Dilley, Albert Ebel, G.. W. Eberlein,
Peter Bowling, Frank c. Daughter,
William j. De Force, John J. De
Young and George Dickson. Edwards
is indicted for assault in the first de-
gree. He is defended by Erwin Il Ryan,
Tom Ryan conducting the examination
of witnesses. The state placed Officer
ROenisch, the man who was shot; Officer
MattOx, who made the arrest, and
Officer Banker, who assisted in the az
rest, in the chair.
Officer August Roenisch was one of a
detail of police selected to clio duty at a
picnic of the Columbia association in
BanhOlZer's park ON West Seventh
street one Sunday in last July. A. s.
Edwards is a gypsy, engaged in gro
Gerry business at 94i West Seventh street,
and he lives at 326 ColbOrne street.
1t is alleged that boy, Ernest Smith,
employed by Edwards at his grocery,
annoyed Officer Roenisch, in company
with several other boys, and threw
stones at him, also ''guying" him to an
unbearable extent The officer forcibly
put the boys out of the park. The boy,
Smith, then went to
EDWARDS STORE,
and evidently told the latter about it.
Edwards, it seems, came to the scene
and commenced to ridicuie the officer
for fighting with little boys.
The defense is trying to demonstrate
that the officer provoked the assault by
first brutally aSsaulting Edwards. 1t
will also try to show that the officer was
drunk, and that if Edwards shot him it
was in self defense.
1t did not;take Roenisch long to recover
from the two shots. A 32-caliber
weapon was used. One of the bullets
was kept from fatal results by striking
a harmonica which was in the officers
trOwSerS pocket; the other bullet struck
him in the mouth, taking out several
teeth. ROeniSsh spit it out. AT the
time he was not expected to live, and
much excitement was caused by the
shooting.
The defense endeavOred to confuse
the witnesses for the state as much as
possible yesterday afternoon. AT
O'clock the state rested and the open
ing of the defense was deferred until
to-day. The defense offered will proba-
bly, be justifiable assault in self defense.
Edwards is a rather good looking
young fellow, with brown hair and
mustache, brown eyes and high fore
head. He did not seem to be very much
worried over the trial. although he was
not Indifferent, and he allowed his chin
to rest in his hand during most of the
time. Two gypsy women were present
as spectators. One is the wife Of
Smith, who fatally shot his uncle,
Palmer, in row away out West Sew
enth street, early one Sunday morning
over year ago. Edwards is said to be
brother-in-law of Smith, and the boy,
Ernest Smith, the primal cause of the
trouble, is a you niger brother.